GRAND RAPIDS, MI - West Michigan residents may notice low-flying helicopters in the area from Oct. 8-15.

But there's no reason to be alarmed: The helicopters will be conducting aerial patrols of high-voltage transmission towers and power lines. The flyovers are for ITCTransmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Company.

The flyovers are semi-annual. This month's flights will cover west and southwest Michigan, south of M-10 to the Indiana border and west of U.S. 127 to Lake Michigan.

Inspection flights are conducted at low altitudes for accurate inspection of equipment for lightning damage, wear and other problems.

ITCTransmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Company are subsidiaries of the Novi-based ITC Holdings Corp.

Angie Jackson covers public safety and breaking news for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email her at ajackso3@mlive.com, and follow her on Twitter.